This is The Spectator’s three-round mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We have player spotlights on all of the first round picks. This draft is strong at the edge and linebacker positions, with four going in the top ten. This class has only one consensus pick between all other mocks in Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders. After that anybody can go anywhere.
Round 1
Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza – QB, Indiana
The Raiders with the first pick in the draft are taking Fernando Mendoza. The 6-foot-4 236-pound quarterback always makes the right play and does a great job taking care of the ball. He has great pocket presence and can pick up a first down with his legs if needed. He has a high football IQ. The 2026 Heisman winner is the unanimous number one overall pick.
New York Jets
David Bailey – Edge, Texas Tech
The Jets at No. 2 take David Bailey. This fills a crucial need for the Jets. Bailey is an excellent pass rusher who accumulated 14.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. His elite speed and power makes him a tough guard for any tackle. Bailey ran the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds which is the fastest out of any edge in this class.
Arizona Cardinals
Arvell Reese – LB, Ohio State 
With the third pick, the Cardinals select Arvell Reese. Reese’s biggest asset in this draft is his ability to line up as an edge as well as an off-ball linebacker. He has quick acceleration off the block, has power at the point of attack and is a sure tackler. He ran a 4.46 second 40-yard dash which is lightning quick for a linebacker.
Tennessee Titans
Sonny Styles – LB, Ohio State 
Sonny Styles is taken by the Titans with the fourth pick. Styles was the talk of the combine with having one of the most athletic combines ever by posting a 10.00 Relative Athletic Score. He is great in coverage and is a great tackler. He wore the green dot for Ohio State. His combination of length, speed and sheer athleticism makes him a can’t miss prospect.
New York Giants
Jeremiyah Love – RB, Notre Dame 
With the fifth pick the New York Giants select Jeremiyah Love. Love is arguably the best player in this draft class. He has elite speed and acceleration that lets him burst through holes and finish it off with his home run speed. He ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash. He can also be used as an extension of the passing game because of his hands and route running. Another weapon added to Jaxon Dart’s arsenal.
Cleveland Browns
Francis Mauigoa – OT, Miami (FL) 
The Browns take the first tackle off the board in Francis Maugioa. Maugioa is an anchor in the pass game and a mauler in the run game. Paired with his high football IQ. He prides himself in bull rush situations. This is a slam dunk selection for the Cleveland Browns at seven.
Washington Commanders
Carnell Tate – WR, Ohio State 
With the seventh pick the Commanders take Carnell Tate. He is great against zone coverage and has great hands. Tate is physical and spectacular at making contested catches. The Chicago-born wide out is a technically sound player that will pair well with Terry McLaurin in that Washington receiving core.
New Orleans Saints
Ruben Bain Jr. – Edge, Miami (FL) 
The Saints take Edge Ruben Bain Jr. at number eight. It has been famously noted at this point that Bain has short arms but is still a powerful rusher and is good at driving offensive lineman into the back field. He anchors the edge well on the run and sheds blocks well to make tackles. There are concerns about his personality with him being the driver in a fatal car crash in 2024 killing a passenger. This adds a much needed piece to the Saints defense line.
Kansas City Chiefs
Mansoor Delane – CB, LSU 
Mansoor Delane is selected here by the Chiefs. He is the best corner back prospect in this draft. He is outstanding in press coverage and strong at the top of routes. Delane has great body control which led to 18 passes deflected and six interceptions in the past two seasons. He is a great pick up for the Chiefs to help bolster their secondary.
New York Giants
Caleb Downs – S, Ohio State 
Giants with their second first round pick select Caleb Downs. Downs is a versatile defender that can guard the pass and the run. He is spectacular at reading the quarterback’s eyes in zone coverage and can play tight man coverage in the nickel. He has great hands to be able to create turnovers. He had six career interceptions in college.
Miami Dolphins
Makai Lemon – WR, USC 
Makai Lemon will go No. 11 to Miami. He is the best slot receiver in the draft. Lemon is a polished route runner and can create separation in man and zone coverage. He didn’t run at the combine; he consistently shows great speed. He has only dropped three balls in three seasons. Much needed pickup for the Dolphins after trading away Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos.
Dallas Cowboys
Jermod McCoy – CB, Tennessee 
The Cowboys will take Jermod McCoy. McCoy did miss all of last season with an ACL injury, which is concerning for teams. He has elite ball skills and has great awareness in zone coverage. He has excellent route recognition and is sticky on defenders. The Cowboys would get an elite corner in the draft.
Los Angeles Rams
Jordyn Tyson – WR, Arizona State 
Tyson would pair well with Puka Nacua for the Rams. He has had some concerning injuries, including an ACL tear. He is exceptional at getting open partly because of how good of a route runner he is. Tyson excels at contested catches and a great deep threat. He will excel with Matthew Stafford as his quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens
Olaivavega Ioane – OG, Penn State 
Ravens here take Olaivavega Ioane at No. 14. Ioane is light on his feet for his size. He does a good job of anchoring at the point of attack and mauls — then finishes — blocks on defenders in the run game. This is a great pick for the Ravens after losing Tyler Linderbaum on an interior offensive line that struggled last year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Keldric Faulk – Edge, Auburn 
With the fifteenth pick the Buccaneers select Kedric Faulk. His combination of his 6-foot-6 height and his speed makes him a game changer in the passing game. He is great at shedding blocks and deflecting balls at the line of scrimmage. This gives Tampa Bay a plug-and-play edge rusher.
New York Jets
Omar Cooper Jr. – WR, Indiana 
The Jets here will take Omar Cooper Jr. He has outstanding hands and is explosive after the catch. He is great at finding soft spots in zone coverage and is dangerous on screen passes, balls in the flat and run-pass options. He is a great pickup for a team that has a lot of holes to be filled.
Detroit Lions
Monroe Freeling – OT, Georgia 
Monroe Frelling is the pick here to help bolster the Lions offensive line. He is an elite pass blocker with elite athleticism. He has great spatial awareness thanks to his basketball background. Freeling is a raw talent that has the ability to be one of the best players in this class. This fills a huge need for the Lions at No. 17.
Minnesota Vikings
Dillon Thieneman – S, Oregon 
The Vikings will take Dillon Thieneman with their first round pick. Thieneman is great in coverage and is lightning quick. He has excellent ball skills and wraps up tackles. He is everything you want out of a safety. He will come in and learn from one of the best to ever do it in Harrison Smith.
Carolina Panthers
Kenyon Sadiq – TE, Oregon 
Kenyon Sadiq is a great pick for the Panthers at nineteen. He is a wide receiver in a tight end frame. He ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash in the combine for a tight end, which is the fastest time ever for the position. His top end speed makes him a threat after the catch. He can create separation on throws down the seam and in the short/medium passing game. He is a great blocker for his size.
Dallas Cowboys
Akheem Messidor – Edge, Miami (FL) 
With their second pick in the first round, the Cowboys will select Akheem Messidor at No. 20. He has had strong production over his college career, notching 12.5 sacks last season at Miami, enough for third in the FBS. Messidor has a high motor and seems poised to be a mature, plug-and-play starter in the NFL.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Spencer Fano – OT, Utah 
Fano fills a key hole at tackle for the Steelers, who struggled with poor run-blocking from their offensive line last year. Assuming quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains with the team next year, the Steelers will need to focus on protecting their 42 year-old quarterback. Fano was a first team All-American this past year at Utah and started 12 games.
Los Angeles Chargers
Kadyn Proctor – OT, Alabama 
Proctor will be taken by the Chargers in an effort to remedy the inconsistent offensive line play that the team experienced last year. Proctor was considered as the consensus pick for the Lombardi award, given to the SEC’s best offensive lineman in 2025. His size and ability to anchor the line on the outside are why he has been considered this highly as a prospect.
Philadelphia Eagles
Caleb Lomu – OT, Utah 
The Eagles will bolster the offensive line by taking Caleb Lomu from Utah. Lomu is a younger and more inexperienced prospect than some of the other offensive tackles taken before him in this draft, but he excels in his athleticism, showing strong combine performances in both broad jump and vertical jump. At age 36, Eagles star right tackle Lane Johnson may be nearing retirement, and the team may begin to look for his replacement in the draft.
Cleveland Browns
KC Concepcion – WR, Texas A&M 
The Browns will look for a new offensive weapon with their second selection in the first round as they take KC Conception. With a new offensive-minded head coach in Todd Monken and a young quarterback in Shedeur Sanders who showed flashes last year, Concepcion provides the versatile framework for improving the offense after its struggles in 2025. His ability to gain separation is impressive, and he is a quick and agile route runner.
Chicago Bears
Kayden McDonald – DT, Ohio State 
McDonald was a very productive defensive tackle at Ohio State and looks poised to continue that production with the Bears. He was a first team All-American, started every game in 2025 and had nine tackles for a loss and forced two fumbles.
Buffalo Bills
T.J. Parker – Edge, Clemson 
Parker fills a need at edge rusher for the Bills, who signed Bradley Chubb earlier in the offseason to try to remedy this need but would still benefit from searching for younger talent at the position. Parker was extremely productive in 2024 and put up decent production again in 2025. He is strong and coordinated enough to quickly shed blocks and has good presence in the pocket.
San Francisco 49ers
Blake Miller – OT, Clemson 
The 49ers look poised to take Miller out of Clemson, who impresses with his consistency. He has started every game for the last four years at Clemson, totaling 54 starts. Miller also impressed at the combine with his physical traits as well as agility, uncommon for a tackle of his caliber.
Houston Texans
Peter Woods – DT, Clemson 
Woods was productive in all three of his seasons at Clemson, providing even more depth and consistency to an already dominant Texans defense. Scouts describe Woods as explosive and strong through the first sign of contact, but also as a risk-taker who sometimes commits too much to moves that ultimately fail.
Kansas City Chiefs
Cashius Howell – Edge, Texas A&M 
The Chiefs will look to improve their play off the edge with Howell, who was very productive in 2025. He had 11.5 sacks last year, but was also very productive in both 2023 and 2024 as well. Howell is elusive and explosive, able to quickly beat blockers on the outside.
Miami Dolphins
Avieon Terrell – CB, Clemson 
Terrell helps the Dolphins as they progress into a full rebuild of their secondary. He fits this role well as his size and athleticism allow him to succeed both in the slot and as an outside corner. Terrell also is aggressive with this versatility, forcing multiple fumbles, notching a few sacks and getting interceptions.
New England Patriots
Zion Young – Edge, Missouri 
The Patriots will look to improve on the edge in the draft this year, even after bringing in multiple veterans at the position earlier in the offseason. Young has the perfect build for an NFL edge rusher and matches up well versus both the rush and pass. There is an asterisk in Young’s profile, however, stemming from his arrest in December over suspicion of a DUI.
Seattle Seahawks
Colton Hood – CB, Tennessee 
The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks will round out the first round by selecting Colton Hood out of Tennessee. On a team without a lot of obvious roster holes, the Seahawks get a player who can help replace the loss of CB Riq Woolen from last year. Hood is a physical and aggressive player who is able to make plays on the ball successfully.
Round 2
New York Jets
CJ Allen – LB, Georgia
Arizona Cardinals
Max Iheanachor – OT, Arizona State
Tennessee Titans
Malachi Lawrence – Edge, UCF
Las Vegas Raiders
Denzel Boston – WR, Washington
New York Giants
Jacob Rodriquez – LB, Texas Tech
Houston Texans
Chase Bisontis – OG, Texas A&M
Cleveland Browns
Chris Johnson – CB, San Diego State
Kansas City Chiefs
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – S, Toledo
Cincinnati Bengals
Brandon Cisse – CB, South Carolina
New Orleans Saints
Chris Bell – WR, Louisville
Miami Dolphins
Gabe Lucas – Edge, Illinois
New York Jets
D’Angelo Ponds – CB, Indiana
Baltimore Ravens
Eli Stowers – TE, Vanderbilt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Anthony Hill Jr. – LB, Texas
Indianapolis Colts
R Mason Thomas – Edge, Oklahoma
Atlanta Falcons
Caleb Banks – DT, Florida
Minnesota Vikings
Jadarian Price – RB, Notre Dame
Detroit Lions
Christen Miller – DT, Georgia
Carolina Panthers
Chris Brazzell – WR, Tennessee
Green Bay Packers
Lee Hunter – DT, Texas Tech
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ty Simpson – QB, Alabama
Philadelphia Eagles
Germie Bernard – WR, Alabama
Los Angeles Chargers
Emmanuel Pregnon – OG, Oregon
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jake Golday – LB, Cincinnati
Chicago Bears
Keylan Rutledge – OG, Georgia Tech
San Francisco 49ers
Derrick Moore – Edge, Michigan
Houston Texans
Gennings Dunker – OT, Iowa
Chicago Bears
A.J. Haulcy – S, LSU
Los Angeles Rams
Caleb Tiernan – OT, Northwestern
Denver Broncos
Josiah Trotter – LB, Missouri
New England Patriots
Zachariah Branch – WR, Georgia
Seattle Seahawks
Mike Washington Jr. – RB, Arkansas
Round 3
Arizona Cardinals
Domonique Orange – DT, Iowa State
Tennessee Titans
Ted Hurst – WR, Georgia State
Las Vegas Raiders
Treyden Stukes – CB, Arizona
Philadelphia Eagles
Max Klare – TE, Ohio State
Houston Texans
Kyle Louis – LB, Pittsburgh
Cleveland Browns
Dani Dennis-Sutton – Edge, Penn State
Washington Commanders
Malik Muhammed – CB, Texas
Cincinnati Bengals
Romello Height – Edge, Texas Tech
New Orleans Saints
Keionte Scott – CB, Miami (FL)
Kansas City Chiefs
Antonio Williams – WR, Clemson
Miami Dolphins
Jake Slaughter – OC, Florida
Pittsburgh Steelers
Malachi Fields – WR, Notre Dame
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oscar Delp – TE, Georgia
Indianapolis Colts
Elijah Sarratt – WR, Indiana
Atlanta Falcons
Davison Igbinoson – CB, Ohio State
Baltimore Ravens
Jalon Kilgore – S, South Carolina
Jacksonville Jaguars
Keyron Crawford – Edge, Auburn
Minnesota Vikings
Sam Hecht – OC, Kansas State
Carolina Panthers
Zakee Wheatley – S, Penn State
Green Bay Packers
Dametrious Crownover – OT, Texas A&M
Pittsburgh Steelers
Bud Clark – S, TCU
Los Angeles Chargers
Jaishawn Barham – Edge, Michigan
Miami Dolphins
Sam Roush – TE, Stanford
Jacksonville Jaguars
Keith Abney II – CB, Arizona State
Chicago Bears
Deion Burks – WR, Oklahoma
Miami Dolphins
Kamari Ramsey – S, USC
Buffalo Bills
Bryce Lance – WR, North Dakota State
Dallas Cowboys
Genesis Smith – S, Arizona
Los Angeles Rams
Keyshawn Elliot – LB, Arizona State
Miami Dolphins
Skylar Bell – WR, Connecticut
New England Patriots
Markel Bell – OT, Miami (FL)
Seattle Seahawks
Joshua Josephs – Edge, Tennessee
Minnesota Vikings
Gracen Helton – DT, Oklahoma
Philadelphia Eagles
LT Overton – Edge, Alabama
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jonah Coleman – RB, Washington
Jacksonville Jaguars
Michael Trigg – TE, Baylor